


masquerade

by lionkid (orphan_account)



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Ballroom Dancing, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Dan is a prince and he's cute, First Dance, Fluff, M/M, Masks, Royalty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2016-05-07
Packaged: 2018-06-07 00:57:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6778360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/lionkid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dan's father has decided to host a masquerade ball so his son can find his new queen. Dan ends up finding someone a little different.</p>
            </blockquote>





	masquerade

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by @astroidlester on twitter's prompt so send some love their way. i'm uncreative as shit
> 
> 14.05: this fic got translated into russian which is super cool so you can check it out: https://t.co/QKn7bIo4ar

Dan likes fancy parties and royal balls; but he doesn't like the idea of marriage. He feels like it's just a formality, something that people can buy and sell anywhere. It's lost its meaning — plus the way this ball is arranged makes no sense. His father said he wanted to break some rules for once, then proceeded to organise a masquerade ball for Dan to find his future queen. Marriage doesn't mean anything, so he might as well pick the prettiest and most  _ well-endowed  _ girl he can find. He can't do that when they've got masks over half of their faces, though.

It's tiring to hear the “you're the eldest son and heir to the throne, you  _ need _ to find yourself a queen” speech every day. He might be stupid sometimes, but he's also young and admittedly good-looking; he would have no problem finding a spouse. Plus it's a little repetitive when he knows that he might not want a queen, but a king sitting next to him. He does like women, of course, but some men are just too appealing to pass up on.

He's suited up in a tailored black tuxedo. Dan had wanted to wear a white one, but discarded the idea as soon as he found out he'd look like one of the servants. He's forced to hide while people come in, wearing their fanciest suits and dresses. The ball is open to anyone, and Dan has to be wary of who he decides to dance with — marrying a commoner could stir up some political problems for them. 

A maid comes and gives Dan his mask, then curtsies and quickly runs off to help with the preparations. He's had some things changed last minute; it's now adorned with silver and covers his signature curly hair well enough to be anonymous. “Daniel, I know you haven't been too excited about this,” his father says, voice stern as always. “But you have to try your best. There are some people from other kingdoms coming, and we need to have a good first impression. Understand?” Dan doesn't bother answering, just nods and puts on the mask. He's too tired to discuss politics and marriage for land right now.

He leaves through the back exit and goes to make an entrance through the front. There's a lot of people still arriving at the salon, and he stumbles on a man. Dan rushes to apologise, but cuts himself off when he looks at his face — he's got a golden mask on, but Dan can still see eyes as blue as the ocean itself behind it, and they're gorgeous. “Don't worry about it,” the man says and smiles, leaving a dumbfounded prince behind.

-

His mother and father look shocked at the amount of people who have come. So is Dan: he might have a pretty face, but he's not clever or known for his good politics, so there isn't much point in marrying him for business.

He sways around the crowded hall for a while. Some girls stop him for a quick chat, but his thoughts are on the damned boy from earlier and his blue eyes. He remembers he had a shiny silver suit on and a golden mask, an unusual combination, but there's no way he'll find him that easily in this huge palace. Plus, men aren't supposed to dance with other men, and Dan could just get turned down. If this wasn't his own royal ball, he could get kicked out for it. Something in him tells him to keep going, though, and he does.

After walking for some more minutes, he sees him laughing with a young girl. Dan breathes in before approaching, and the man spots him halfway there. Surprisingly, he smiles and mock curtsies. “Hello,” Dan says, cursing himself for his lack of a better vocabulary. Nobody's gonna dance with him if he's anything less than a dashing gentleman.

“Hello,” the man says. “I see we have met again. Care to tell why you were after me after all this time?” Dan chokes. Is he supposed to tell the truth? Arguably, he could; the girl is no longer around, now clumsily dancing with a boy her age. But it could also be risky.

His thoughts are interrupted by his own father announcing the first dance — and he feels like he should just take this chance. “I was wondering,” says Dan, “if I could maybe have this dance, please?” The man looks surprised, but not angry or disgusted, and Dan silently thanks whatever god there is for it. He then breaks out into a smile. “Of course,” he says. “You can call me Tuxedo Mask, young man.”

“Creative name,” Dan mocks, and offers  _ Tuxedo Mask  _ his right hand. He hadn't noticed he was borderline shaking like an old man, and hoped his dance partner wouldn't notice it. The shaking seemed to get even worse when they held hands, but he tried to ignore it and just enjoy the moment.

Dan felt the man's hands snaking around his waist and pulling him in closer. He can feel some people's eyes on them, and he's about to pull away when— “don't worry about them, yes? Just… put your arms here,” and he guides them so they're wrapped around his shoulders. “You have done this before, yes?” The man asks. Dan shakes his head no. “First time at a ball,” and it's not really a lie, since he's never  _ danced _ at one before.

“Alright, I'll guide you,” he says, and Dan feels his heart sink. They start slowly swaying to the violins, but every sound feels a bit blurred out when he looks into those blue eyes and smiles. And the man (Tuxedo Mask?) is  _ good _ at it; he holds a firm grip on Dan's waist and helps him move, stepping back and forth, spinning along with everyone in the hall. Dan lets himself go and silently enjoys the other's company as people seem to forget about them, caring more about their own dances than looking at two men dancing together like it's  _ normal. _

It's stupid to him, all of this; marriage, feelings, loving someone so much you want to be with them forever based on a royalty event. But Dan can't help wondering if all of this, that he's heard on fairy tales so much, is actually real as the man pulls him even closer and he feels their chests together, thinking his heart beats so fast the other probably could hear it if he tried.

The orchestra is about to finish the song, but just as he gets ready to leave and never come back, the man takes his hand and helps him spin around to end the dance. Dan stumbles and almost falls, but he smiles when he's held and ends up flush against “Tuxedo Mask”, both of them so close he can feel the other's warm breath on his neck.

Suddenly, he jumps. His father might have been watching all along, and the possible consequences make him shudder. The man raises an eyebrow. “Are you feeling fine, young man?” He asks, eyes filled with concern. Dan immediately nods. “I will be here soon. Stay here? For me?” He dashes off, coming back in through the second entrance.

“Where is my father?” Dan asks a maid, remembering to take off his mask and fix his hair. “The king is in the room behind the thrones,” she says, and he runs, narrowly avoiding the frantic workers going back and forth. He makes a mental note to apologise for this mess later.

He finds the room and breathes in, knocking on the door with trembling hands. “Father? May I come in?” Dan doesn't get an answer; instead, the King opens the door himself and signs for the guards to stay outside. “Daniel,” he starts, not nearly as angry as Dan had expected. “I saw you… on the first dance, with that man. I do not know what to think, but let me tell you; if it is what makes you happy, despite being a ruler, I cannot and will not stop you.” Dan feels tears well up in his eyes. “He is still waiting there. You should go back and tell him that you're the prince. I do not know if you will get to marry him, but I cannot stop you from being with him.”

Dan smiles. “Thank you, Father,” and walks away. Everything feels lighter now; his hands have stopped shaking from anxiety and he can only think about the man waiting for him back in the hall. He wipes away the tears threatening to come out and puts the black mask on, walking through the kitchen with a resolute grin on his face. He finds his way back to the salon, breathes in and out like his mother had taught him to do; and he's ready.

His father announces that people may now take off their masks if so they wish. Dan knows it's not regular custom, but that he's doing it for his son, and it makes his heart flutter. He really owes him some more gratitude. Dan approaches the man, who's been standing in the same place; he then playfully pokes his shoulder.

“Nice to meet you, may I have the pleasure of your company?” Dan jokes, a smile on his face. “I'd rather have these out of the way, young gentleman,” the man says, gesturing between both of their masks.

Dan swallows. “Shall we take these off?” He tries to keep up the calm behaviour, but his voice wavers just slightly. “I'll take yours off, and you can get mine. Do we have a deal?” Asks the other man, touching Dan's cheek and brushing his skin with the pad of his thumb. “You should know before we do this; surprisingly, I was not actually called Tuxedo Mask by my parents, although I wish I had been. My name is Philip, but I would rather have you call me Phil.”

“It feels good to finally put an actual name to the masked face,” Dan jokes, and he's filled with nervousness when Phil reaches behind his head and takes off his mask. “Prince Daniel?”

He feels tears in his eyes a second time that night. “I'm sorry if you expected someone else,” he whispers. “What? No. No way. After that dance, you could be the poorest of farmers, I wouldn't mind being with you,” Phil smiles. “Come and get this off me, it's starting to feel uncomfortable.” Dan's incredibly happy to comply.

To say the least; Phil is the most stunning person the prince has ever laid eyes on. He can't help the smile that graces his face when he cups Phil's cheek and whispers “goodness, you're actually real. You're beautiful. Has anyone told you this?”

“Handsome, yes, but not beautiful,” he jokes and bows. “The name's Philip Lester. A regular son of a rich man. Not as fancy as being heir to the throne, I understand, but I hope my dancing skills were enough to rope you in.”

Dan laughs. “Mind joining me for another dance?”

“Not at all,” Phil says, and he's surprised by Dan coming closer and laying his head on Phil’s shoulder. “I hope this is not the last, Prince Daniel,” he adds.

**Author's Note:**

> check me out on twitter.com/kaonashidan if you want thank


End file.
